Upright locking socket



Oct. 4, 1960 c. s. MOTTER 2,954,638

UPRIGHT LOCKING SOCKET Filed NOV. 4. 1959 UPRIGHT LOCKING SOCKET Charles S. Mutter, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Morton Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 850,815

Claims. (Cl. 45-137) My invention relates to an upright locking socket and has to do primarily with a socket forming a footing for vertical standards or posts which form a support for a table, sales counter, sales rack, or the like, or which may be used to support a table, desk, or for a knockdown type of display table used in the display and sales of various types and kinds of merchandise in stores or the like;

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a locking socket which can be easiiy and quickly put into position, and into which a post or leg of a table, counter, or the like, can be inserted and securely locked in position so that a firm base is provided for the table leg, and in which a more solid mounting is provided than if it were supported by a floor or the like.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a locking socket from which a table leg can be easily detached and removed in the setting up and providing tables for the display of merchandise and the like, and in which various kinds of sectional tables or display racks can be procided of suitable lengths and heights to accommodate the various kinds of merchandise being displayed.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of a locking socket in which the leg or supporting standard of a display counter or display cabinet having a plurality of horizontally positioned spaced shelves thereon for the support of merchandise can be provided, and which locking socket provides a footing and support base for such a shelf, table, or the like, and provides a more firm foundation for such a table, or the like, to prevent swaying of the table when loaded with merchandise, and provides a much firmer base and support for such a supporting table or post than if such table or post rested upon the floor alone.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision'of a locking socket for use with a table, shelf, or the like, in which after a leg is inserted in the socket it can be tightly clamped in position on the bottom of the leg thereby providing a firm support for the tabie leg and also providing a tight interfitting of the leg in the socket so that any swaying or movement of the table in a lateral direction is restricted or prevented.

Another and further object of my invention is the pro vision of a locking socket which, if desired, can be secured to the side wall or a sill of a supporting base, or to a baseboard, thereby providing a firm foundation within which the table or cupboard legs can be mounted thereby preventing easy movement of the table and holding the legs in firm position, or the sockets may be secured to a baseboard either resting upon or secured to a floor, or to a baseboard so the counter, table, cabinet or the like, is securely attached to the floor so the table center will not tip or fall over if it becomes unbalanced with heavy merchandise thereby permitting accidents which may result in the overturning or tipping of such a table or the like.

These and other objects of my invention will be better and more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my locking socket;

the operation of the device.

2,954,638 Patented Oct. 4, 1960 Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the socket on lines 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the locking socket on lines 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the socket with the working parts removed therefrom; and,

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the various movable and working parts of the locking socket shown in disassembled relation.

Referring now specifically to the drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which a body member lit is shown, preferably made of some form of metal casting such as aluminum or iron, generally rectangular in shape and having wing portions 11 and 12 integrally formed therewith, having screw openings 13, 13 therein for the receiving of screws whereby the body member 10 may be secured to a floor frame or base or to a baseboard or the like. A cavity 14 is provided in the body member 16 which is generally rectangular in shape and has a bottom 15 with a hole 16 in the bottom 15 for drainage purposes and the like, the said cavity 14 being generally rectangular in shape and open at one corner thereof whereby the cavity 14 is in communication with a second cavity 17 coextensive in depth with the cavity 14, also generally rectangular in shape and having angularly inwardly extending outer walls 18 and 19, with vertical side Walls 20 and 21 adjacent thereto, which said walls are integrally formed with the adjacent sloping walls 18 and 19 with the result that the walls 26 and 21 are wider at their top portions than they are at their bottom portions.

A holding member 22 is provided which is generally rectangular in shape but decreases in cross sectional area from its top to its bottom, and has straight side walls 23 and 24, and inclined outer walls 25 and 26 which slidably engage the inclined converging walls 18 and 19 on the body member 10 when the holding member 22 is fitted into the cavity 17 which it is intended to receive, with this cavity being open at its corner adjacent the cavity 14. The holding member 22 has a V-shaped recess on its corner adjacent the opening at. the corner of the cavity 14 formed by a pair of straight-sided surfaces 27 and 28, which surfaces are adjacent to each other and diverge outwardly from each other forming a V- shaped channel in the holding member 22, which completes the formation of the rectangular cavity 14 and which receives a rectangular post 2% inserted therein in A vertical channel 30 is provided in the upper end of the holding member 22 with a transverse channel 31 being cored in the holding member 22 which partially intersects the vertical channel 39, and within which a pin 32 is fitted as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The upper face of the body member 10 is recessed in an angular form for a short distance at 33, with a plurality of internally threaded screw receiving openings 34, 34 being provided in the body member 10 for purposes hereinafter described. A triangular shaped plate 35 is provided having a plurality of screw openings 36, 36 therein which register with the screw openings 34, 34 and into which screws 37, 37 are inserted, which hold the triangular shaped plate 35 in position in the recessed portion 33 of the body member 10. The plate 35 has an internally threaded opening 38 extending therethrough within which a screw 39 is inserted, the screw 39 having a threaded portion 40 thereon and has a reduced end portion 41 having an annular kerf 42 formed therein through one side of which the pin 32 extends when the screw 39 is turned into the opening 38 with the reduced end 41 being positioned into the opening 30 in the member 22 and is keyed into position by the pin 32 passing through the edge of the kerf 42 which permits the free rotation of the screw 39. The rotation of the screw 39 thereby moves the holding member 22 within the cavity 17 in a vertical direction so as the holding member 22 is forced downward, it also passes inward by reason of the engagement of the sloping walls 25 and 26 on the holding member with the sloping walls 18 and 19 of the recess in the cavity 17, thereby exerting an inward pressure upon and securely holding the post 2? in position in the holding socket.

In operation the device may be used in a plurality of ways with or without being secured to a baseboard or to a frame forming a base for tables, sales counters, and the like, or may be used by being attached to such a base as desired, and is set in vertical position in proper spaced relation to receive the lower ends of the supporting posts used in connection with knockdown tables, counters and the like, in appropriate positions to receive the lower ends of such posts. Thereafter, if the structure is a knockdown one, the ends of the supporting posts are placed in the cavity 14 with the screw 39 turned to a position where the holding member 22 is raised to its maximum height, in which position a rectangular post, such as 29, of a dimension defined by the walls surrounding the cavity '14 is set in position and the screw 39 is rotated by means of a screwdriver, or the like, in such manner that the holding member 22 is driven downward by the end of the reduced portion 41 of the screw 39 bottoming upon the holding member 22 at the lower end of the passage 30 so the holding member 22 is driven downward and because of the coacting effect of the inclined walls 18 and 19 on the base and the walls 25 and 26 of the holding member 22, the holding member 22 is driven inwardly and into tight engagement with the corner of the rectangular post 29 asshown particularly in Figure 1. In this manner the post 29 is securely anchored into the locking socket and which if anchored to the floor by means. of a frame such as commonly used, the counter, table, sales counter, or the like is supported by the legs 29 and held firmly in position on the floor and cannot be easily overturned or upset as is the .case with certain of the merchandising tables and counters now in use, particularly where heavy pieces of merchandise are displayed on these counters and which may be arranged in such manner that the table or counter is too .heavily weighted on .one side, or the other, or it may become top heavy because of the merchandise being piled upon it, or after one of these counters is loaded with merchandise it may be rendered out of balance by the removal of pieces of merchandise thereon at one side or the other, so that the table becomes unbalanced to such an extent that it may tip over resulting in injury to store employees, customers, or the like.

The tables or merchandising counters are thereby anchored securely in position whether installed as complete units or whether installed from a knockdown position and the legs or supporting posts are individually positioned during the course of assembling such a knockdown structure. In either case the counters, display shelves and tables aresecurely attached to the floor and cannot be easily upset because of becoming overloaded or loaded out of balance.

The post 29 as shown is rectangular in cross section but round parts may be used with the cross sectional area of the cavityl i changed to round or oblong and the corner of the holding member 22 also changed accordingly.

While Ihave described more or less precisely the Upright Locking Socket I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest o-r render expedient without departing from the spirit, or scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A lockingsocket comprising a base member having post and locking member receiving cavities therein communicating with each other, a wedge shaped locking member mounted in the locking cavity and movable longitudinally therein, a cover .for the locking cavity secured to the base member and means mounted in the said cover and loosely connected to the wedge shaped locking member whereby the locking member is moved into locking engagement with a post in the post receiving cavity and also out of engagement therewith, at least one wall of the locking cavity being angularly disposed.

2. A locking socket comprising a base member having a post receiving cavity therein open at one of its corners, and also having a locking member receiving cavity, two

' walls defining the said cavity diverging towards the bottom of the cavity, a longitudinally moving locking member having two straight sides and two adjacent angu-larly disposed sides converging towards the bottom of the cavity in sliding engagement with the diverging sides of the body member defining the locking member cavity, a plate secured to the body member and a screw in threaded, en-

secured to the body member and a screw in threaded engagement with the said plate having a reduced lower end portion extending into the end of the said locking member and rotatably mounted in the locking member whereby the locking member is moved longitudinally in the said. cavity.

4. A locking socket comprising a base member having a post receiving cavity therein open at one of its corners, and also having a locking member receiving cavity therein, two of the walls defining the said cavity diverging away from the outer wall towards the bottom of "the cavity, a longitudinally moving [locking member having two straight sides and two adjacent angularly disposed sides converging to narrow portions towards the bottom of the cavity and in sliding engagement with the diverging sides of the body member defining the locking member cavity, a plate secured to the body member and a screw in threaded engagement with the said plate having a reduced lower end extending into the locking member and having an annular kerf in the reduced end and a pin extending into the said locking member and through one side of the said kerf.

5. A locking socket comprising a base member-having a post receiving cavity therein open at one of its corners,

and also having a locking member receiving cavity therein, two walls defining the said cavity diverging away from the outer walls towards the bottom of the cavity, a longitudinal ly moving 'locking member having two straight sides and two adjacent angularly disposed sides converging to-a-lesser thickness towards the bottom of the cavity and in-sliding engagement with the diverging sides of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hall Jan. 17, 1888 Dunne Sept. 20, 1949 

